


Permanent

by SakuraBlossomStorm



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Fluff, Smut, Soulmate Tattoos, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-21
Updated: 2017-07-21
Packaged: 2018-12-05 00:31:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11566605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SakuraBlossomStorm/pseuds/SakuraBlossomStorm
Summary: Leslie wakes up one morning with a man's name tattooed on her hip. She's never met him before, but the universe has decided that they are soulmates.





	Permanent

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BenjisCoolTimes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BenjisCoolTimes/gifts).



> Happy Birthday Shea!! I hope you have an amazing day!
> 
> This was kind of inspired by Soul, which is my favourite fic that you've ever written, and also inspired by a post I saw on tumblr one time... I can't remember what it was but it was about soulmate tattoos! I hope you like it!
> 
> A big thanks goes to Supervanillabear31 and PawneeWafflesBen for betaing and providing title name ideas.

Leslie first noticed it in the morning.

She stepped out of the shower and was about to wrap a towel around her body when she caught her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes fell to a small blotch of black ink on her right hip.

Leslie frowned. She was sure that she had washed herself thoroughly. And how on earth would she get a black mark on her hip?

She moved closer to the mirror to inspect the mark and gasped.

On her hip was a tattoo. Black italic ink spelling out the name _Ben_.

Leslie’s eyes widened. When did this happen? She was sure that she’d remember getting a tattoo no matter how drunk she got. Last night she spent the evening baking cookies until 1 in the morning and only had one small glass of wine. Did someone sneak into her room overnight and brand her?

Her fingers traced the tattoo. It didn’t feel sore, nor was it very big, maybe two or three inches long. But it was still a man’s name tattooed on her hipbone. 

She started freaking out and grabbed the bar of soap, frantically scrubbing on her hip to try and remove the ink.

It wouldn’t budge. No matter how hard she scrubbed, the ink remained.

Leslie let out a frightened squeal. Someone called Ben must have snuck into her room in the middle of the night, tattooed her for a joke and then left. 

She staggered wildly out of the bathroom, drying herself off and pulling her clothes on; she needed a second opinion on this.

~~

“It’s not permanent, right?” Leslie asked, her pants pulled down slightly so Ann could see the tattoo. “Please tell me it’s not real.”

Ann sighed, her fingers gently prodding at the tattoo. “I’m sorry, Leslie. I hate to break it to you, but it’s real.”

Leslie’s eyes widened. “How the hell did this happen? Ooh, once I find this Ben I’m going to kill him!”

“You won’t,” Ann said kindly, sitting next to Leslie on the couch. “This isn’t just an ordinary tattoo. It’s a soulmate tattoo.”

“A what?”

“You’ve never heard of it? When your soulmate is supposedly within close proximity, his or her name will appear on a part of your body,” Ann said. “The amount of times people come into the emergency room with names tattooed on their foreheads or across their chest is crazy.”

She took another look at Leslie’s brand. “You got off pretty lucky. You got a small one that can easily be hidden by clothes. Mine is harder to hide.”

Leslie blinked. “You have one? How come you didn’t tell me?”

“I didn’t want to make a big thing of it, and once I told you about the tattoos you’d be waiting for one to appear. Plus it’s a little embarrassing,” Ann explained.

“Where is it?” Leslie asked urgently, scooting closer. “You didn’t tell about this? You have to show me.”

Ann sighed. “Have you noticed how I’ve been wearing my hair down recently?”

Leslie shook her head, and Ann turned around, scooping her hair back into her hands, exposing her neck. Leslie let out a soft gasp.

On the back of Ann’s neck, in spirally letters, was the name _Chris/ _.__

__“Who’s Chris?”_ _

__“I don’t know,” Ann said, letting her hair back down. “The only Chris I know is a nurse at the hospital, but he’s been working there for years. Not to mention he’s happily married.”_ _

__Leslie squirmed a little in her seat. “So you’re telling me that there’s a Ben out there who’s apparently my soulmate? Are you sure that it’s not a Joe or-”_ _

__“Leslie, Joe Biden is not your soulmate. The tattoos don’t lie. My parents have them. I’m sure your mom does if you ask. But we’re still lucky; some people never find their soulmates,” Ann said._ _

__Leslie sighed and got up, walking towards the window. Her hand wandered back down and rubbed her hip._ _

__Somewhere out there was a man, who just like her, had woken up with her name tattooed somewhere on his body, and was probably just as confused as she was._ _

__~~_ _

__“Good lord.”_ _

__Ben swallowed as he looked in the mirror. Along his side and in black italic ink was the name _Leslie_._ _

__He had been changing into his clothes for the day when he caught a glimpse of it. His under shirt hung over one arm as he stared at the tattoo._ _

__His fingers reached out and touched the tattoo. He knew about soulmate tattoos. He heard about them when he was younger and was adamant that Cindy Eckert was his soulmate. But the days went by and no mark appeared on his body._ _

__To be honest he had completely forgotten about them until now, but this morning, as he woke up in a motel in Pawnee, Indiana, he had been branded._ _

__A knock at his door made Ben jump and quickly pulled the shirt over his head._ _

__“Ben? Are you ready?” He could hear Chris calling from the other side._ _

__“Just a second,” Ben replied, grabbing a shirt and tie from the closet. He didn’t want to tell Chris about his soulmate tattoo right now. Not when they had just arrived in a new town for their job._ _

__For now, he had to concentrate on work and getting this town out of debt. Not on whoever this Leslie was._ _

__~~_ _

__Their eyes met as soon as he walked into the room._ _

__He was standing behind Chris, who was giving everyone a motivational speech. Wild hair and deep brown eyes. Leslie felt a swooping sensation in her chest as he looked up at her, and then immediately back down at his feet._ _

__She didn’t know his name yet. This Chris Traeger character came in and started talking about tinkering and putting things back together. Leslie should have been listening, but there was something about this silent, brooding person in the doorway._ _

__“My partner is going to stick around for a little bit, and I will see you later,” Chris said, making his leave._ _

__The man shifted his briefcase in his hands, and Leslie approached him._ _

__“Hi. My name is Leslie Knope, I’m the deputy director of the Parks Department,” Leslie announced, holding out her hand for him to shake._ _

__His eyes flickered back up to her, and Leslie could see his Adam’s apple bobbing. Was he nervous? He looked terrified. A weird attribute considering how positive and confident Chris was._ _

__“I’m Ben Wyatt,” he said, returning the handshake with a slight tremor to his hands._ _

__Ben. Leslie’s heart skipped several beats. She had completely forgotten about the black ink on her hip. And, now, someone with the exact same name as her soulmate was in front of her._ _

__She tried to ignore it. She couldn’t exactly just scream at him that he was her soulmate; it might not even be him. Ben was a very common name. She might meet someone in the supermarket called Ben tomorrow. This could very easily be a huge convenience that he turned up on the day she discovered the tattoo._ _

__But, hey, if he did end up being her life-long partner, he wasn’t exactly terrible looking, face wise._ _

__Ben cleared his throat and gestured to the empty conference room. “Do you have a second?”_ _

__Leslie nodded and escorted him into the room. For him, she’d give all the time in the world._ _

__~~_ _

___‘You’re a jerk.’_ _ _

__The words echoed around Ben’s mind as he pulled a Pepsi from the vending machine. A jerk. A terrible, jerkface who has come to ruin people’s lives._ _

__It shouldn’t have hurt as much as it did. He’d been called worse after all. Someone in Muncie threw a pitchfork at him once whilst calling him ‘fartboy.’ But this, being called a jerk, stung._ _

__Partly because she could very easily be his soulmate. When Leslie told him her name, his stomach lurched, because he was about to make an enemy of the woman who could be the person the universe wanted him to spend the rest of his life with._ _

__He had put two and two together. The day he arrived in Pawnee, he met someone called Leslie. It was just too much of a coincidence to not be real. He was just been trying to be professional, and she could only see the downside of his job._ _

__“Alright, what’s up with you, grumpy goose?”_ _

__Ben jumped at the voice and turned around. Chris was standing behind him in his running gear._ _

__“Nothing,” Ben mumbled, popping open the can._ _

__Chris sighed. “I’ve known you for how many years now? You can’t lie to me. I know when my best buddy is down in the dumps.”_ _

__Ben ran a hand through his hair and groaned. “Is there somewhere we can talk privately?”_ _

__Chris nodded, and led him through to the City Manager’s office where they had set up for their time in Pawnee. Chris sat in the chair opposite Ben, while he paced the room nervously._ _

__“Alright, okay. So, this morning I woke up to this,” Ben said anxiously, and slowly lifted up his shirt, revealing his side._ _

__Chris’s eyes widened as he stared at the tattoo, and titled his head to get a better look._ _

__“Is that a-”_ _

__“A soulmate tattoo, yeah,” Ben sighed, pulling his shirt back down. “It says Leslie’s name, and I’m kind of freaking out because the first person we met here just so happens to be Leslie, and she called me a jerk. That’s not how soulmates react to each other. We haven’t even met properly, and she already hates me.”_ _

__Chris stood up and patted him on the shoulder. “Hey, now. Don’t be so down. You have a soulmate tattoo; that’s fantastic news. You are one step closer to being in a loving committed relationship with someone. I’m sure that there was just a minor misunderstanding with Leslie. I mean, she seems lovely. Maybe she was just having a bad day.”_ _

__Ben nodded slowly. “I guess you’re right. I mean this is how we work. We don’t come to make friends.”_ _

__“Maybe if you met her outside of work things would be different,” Chris said. “I overheard someone at the shoeshine stand talking about a birthday party tonight at a bar called The Snakehole Lounge. We should go to that; maybe she’ll be there and you can talk to her again.”_ _

__Ben rolled his head back and sighed. “Okay fine. It’ll be good to get a beer anyway.”_ _

__Chris happily clapped Ben around the back. “That’s the spirit! Now, I’m going to go for my midday run. I’ll see you back at the motel?”_ _

__Before Ben could reply, Chris had already sprinted out of the room, greeting everyone as he passed._ _

__~~_ _

__“Ben the jerk is here,” Leslie gasped out, lowering her beer._ _

__“Who are?” Ann slurred, and Leslie raised an eyebrow. Okay, maybe they were a little wasted._ _

__“That one,” Leslie said, pointing an unsteady finger in the direction of Ben who was talking with Donna and Jerry._ _

__“Are you sure he’s a jerk?” Ann asked, scooting closer to Leslie. “I mean, he does have the same name as you-know-what.”_ _

__Ann jokingly poked Leslie’s hip, and she pushed her off. “I know. But he’s a jerk. There’s no way he could be the same Ben as this,” she said as she gestured to her hip._ _

__“Still, he’s not bad looking. I wouldn’t complain,” Ann giggled._ _

__Leslie was just about to tell Ann about how she had also met a Chris that could be her soulmate, when she noticed Ben break away from Donna and Jerry, and start walking over towards her._ _

__“Oh god, he’s coming over,” Leslie hissed, and grabbed one of the new tequila shots a waiter bought over and knocking it back._ _

__“Okay, Leslie,” Ann said, grabbing her shoulders. “Be professional.”_ _

__Leslie nodded and flicked her hair back over her shoulder. Yeah, she was going to be super professional and not tell any jerkfaces about her soulmate tattoo._ _

__“Hi,” Ben said warily as he walked over._ _

__“Hello, Ben,” Leslie replied icily, and stuck her nose into the air, refusing to look at him._ _

__“Look,” Ben said over the loud music. “I feel like we got off on the wrong foot. So, I just wanted to stop by and-”_ _

__“Yeah, well save your breath, okay? Just get out of here,” Leslie thundered at Ben. “Because this is a party with my friends, and you’re trying to fire all my friends. Plus, I just spoke to everybody in this bar and nobody wants you here.”_ _

__“That must’ve taken a while,” Ben deadpanned._ _

__“Yeah, it did,” Leslie hissed._ _

__“Look, maybe we could go and talk about this?” Ben said. “I could get you a drink? Or water, maybe.”_ _

__“Go with him,” Ann whispered in Leslie’s ear. “Just hear him out.”_ _

__She tickled her hip again, and Leslie leapt up to get away from her._ _

__“Fine,” Leslie said to Ben. “One drink. And I get to pick the drink. And I want the most expensive cocktail they do here.”_ _

__Ben pursed his lips and nodded. “Deal. After you.”_ _

__Leslie stumbled to the bar and leaned over, talking to the barman about the most expensive cocktail they had. Soon, the bartender had whipped up Leslie her cocktail, which was only a Manhattan. A Manhattan that set Ben back 25 bucks._ _

__He grabbed his beer and led Leslie to a small booth in the corner to get some privacy. “Okay, I understand you’re mad, and you think that I’m against you. But you have to know that I’m just trying to help. Your City Manager really put the town into serious debt. If anything, you should be mad at him.”_ _

__“You’ve just come here ready to cut and not listen to anyone else. You could easily come up with spreadsheets and plans to help, not just wanting to fire everyone,” Leslie countered, crossing her legs and folding her arms._ _

__“And do you think I like that?” Ben growled. “No, I hate it. People look at me like I’m vermin. Then, typically when I save the town from bankruptcy, everyone’s suddenly my best friend.”_ _

__“Well, I can safely say that I don’t think I’ll ever be your best friend,” Leslie hissed, grabbing her drink and standing up. “Yeah, I thought you were cute when we first met, and, yeah I thought that maybe we’d have a chance. But no, I don’t want my soulmate to be some jerkface who likes cutting people’s budgets for a living.”_ _

__Before Ben could say another word, Leslie was tugging at her pants, flashing her hip to him. She pointed to the name aggressively._ _

__“This ‘Ben’ isn’t you. He’s out there and is probably a state senator or something,” Leslie remarked._ _

__Ben’s eyes widened, and he jumped up. “Holy crap,” he gasped._ _

__He looked up at Leslie with a shocked look on his face, then carefully lifted his shirt, revealing her name on his side._ _

__Leslie swallowed as she looked at the ink. “Crap on a cookie.”_ _

__~~_ _

__“Well, this is an interesting turn of events,” Ben mumbled, staring down at his coffee cup._ _

__They had left the party abruptly after the reveal of their tattoos. They knew that they needed to talk about this, and they soon found themselves at JJ’s Diner. Leslie had a plate of waffles and a coffee to sober her up, while Ben just opted for black coffee._ _

__Leslie didn’t look up at him; she just kept spooning whipped cream into her mouth. “I don’t understand it, I really don’t.” She licked the cream from the corner of her mouth and looked up. “I mean, you’re terrible.”_ _

__“Will you stop saying that?” Ben sighed. “I’m just doing my job. Things would have probably gone differently if we met outside of work.” He leaned back in the booth. “Well, maybe we should at least try to get to know each other? All you know about me is that I work for the state, and all I know about you is that you work for the Parks Department and like Manhattans.”_ _

__Leslie sat up. “I don’t like Manhattans. The guy said it was the most expensive cocktail. Really, it just tasted like crap.”_ _

__“Good to know I spent all that money on a cocktail you didn’t like,” Ben said, but allowed the corners of his mouth to twitch upwards. “What cocktails do you like?”_ _

__Leslie smiled softly. “There’s a gay bar here. They named a cocktail after me; it’s called the Leslietini. It’s got pink lemonade, vodka, and some other stuff in it… that’s really good.”_ _

__“It sounds super sugary,” Ben commented. “I like gin and tonics. They’re simple, and they taste good. Now, why did the bar name a cocktail after you? Are you some sort of gay hero?”_ _

__“In so many words,” Leslie grinned. “I once married two penguins and they turned out to be male.”_ _

__“Penguin wedding,” Ben smirked. “That’s cute.”_ _

__“It was so cute!” Leslie explained, a full smile now etched on her face. She soon coughed and wiped the smile away from her face. “What about you?” she asked. “Tell me about your childhood.”_ _

__Ben took a big gulp of his coffee. “Alright, well… I grew up in a small town called Partridge, Minnesota.”_ _

__Leslie frowned. “Why does that sound so familiar?”_ _

__Ben pursed his lips. He knew exactly what was coming next._ _

__Leslie’s eyes widened and she gawped at Ben._ _

__“You’re Benji Wyatt!”_ _

__Ben slowly nodded. Really, he fully expected someone like Leslie who could name every mayor for every town in the United States to recognise his name and where he’s from._ _

__She clapped a hand over her mouth and giggled. “You were so cute!”_ _

__“Yeah, well, that cuteness didn’t help me. I was impeached like two months in. That’s why I balance budgets, to show people that I’m responsible. Do you see where I’m coming from?” Ben asked, leaning on the table._ _

__Leslie sighed and nodded. “Alright, fine. I do. I get it. I just think there’s other ways to go around it, rather than firing people.”_ _

__Ben nodded in agreement. “Okay, I’ll see what I can do. I’ll rework the numbers. But if they don’t change then someone in your department will have to go. Does that sound reasonable?”_ _

__Leslie frowned, and slumped back in her booth. “Fine, I guess so.”_ _

__There was another silence as Leslie went back to her waffles, and Ben got another refill of his coffee. They hadn’t come here for Ben to justify his reasons for slashing the department’s budget. He came here because they both had each other’s names imbedded on their bodies._ _

__Ben cleared his throat. “So… are we going to talk about the soulmate situation?”_ _

__Leslie lowered her fork. “I don’t know. I mean, this is weird, isn’t it? We hardly know each other, and suddenly we’re just thrown together, and the universe expects us to just get together? I mean, yeah ok, tonight I see you in a different light, but you are still kind of an ass that’s a threat to my department-”_ _

__“No,” Ben cut in. “Your mayor and city manager are a threat to your department. Chris and I didn’t do anything to get you into this situation.”_ _

__He drained his coffee cup and stood up. “Until you get that into your head, then maybe we shouldn’t do this.”_ _

__Leslie folded her arms and scowled at Ben. “Fine. I completely agree!”_ _

__Ben grabbed his coat. “Good. Glad to see we’re on the same page.”_ _

__Leslie stuck her tongue out at Ben’s back as he walked out of JJ’s Diner. It may have been immature, but Ben was a stupid jerkface and started all of this._ _

__~~_ _

__The government had been shut down._ _

__She couldn’t believe it. No work until the budget crisis was sorted. No paperwork sessions on a Saturday with wine and Spice Girls CDs. No more waking up at 4am to be in the office by 5. It was all too painful._ _

__Worst of all, she wasn’t essential personnel, which meant she couldn’t even set foot in City Hall._ _

__She had tried not to think about it too much, but, today, after the Freddy Spaghetti concert, it was all too real. Saying goodbye to her loyal team at the Parks Department hurt._ _

__And Ben… Ben the jerkface who tried to shut down the concert, but then went to Eagleton and paid for their act to come back. Ben who was a stupid fascist hard-ass, had a soft side after all._ _

__Fine. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as she made him out to be._ _

__But she still had no interest in him, soulmate or not._ _

__It was just coming up to eight on a Friday night, when Leslie finally decided to shut down her laptop and give up her plan of trying to find the money to re-instate the government and grab dinner. So far, she had emailed Congress eight times, called neighbouring towns such as Snerling and Bloomington to help bail them out and googled the possibility of loan sharks._ _

__Okay, sure, that one was a last resort._ _

__She got up from her makeshift desk at the dining table and stretched her arms back. When she heard a knock at the door, her eyes drifted to the door, and she frowned. Who on earth would be knocking at her door at this time of the night?_ _

__She trudged over to the door, and the sight in front of her was surprising._ _

__It was Ben, clutching a bottle of wine and a container that looked suspiciously like the ones from JJ’s._ _

__“Ann told me where you lived,” he quickly said. “I thought you could do with some company… and waffles?”_ _

__Great. He knew the way to her heart._ _

__Leslie scowled, but still stepped to the side, allowing him to walk in._ _

__“Good lord,” Ben gasped as his looked around her home, eyeing the boxes and stacks of newspapers warily._ _

__“You, uh, like collecting things?” Ben asked nervously as he sidestepped a pile of small birdhouses._ _

__“They’re memories,” Leslie insisted. “I like them.”_ _

__“Ann also did warn me that it was a crazy hoarder’s nest,” Ben said. “But I didn’t think it was going to be this bad.”_ _

__“If you just came here to judge the way I live, then you can just –”_ _

__“No! No, not at all,” Ben quickly said. “Um, ok, let me start again. I brought you wine and waffles. Maybe we could just… talk? Get all of this out in the open?”_ _

__Leslie sighed. “Fine, you got me. Only because I love waffles and wine.”_ _

__Ben grinned as Leslie walked over to the kitchen and grabbed two wine glasses from the cabinet._ _

__“So, I have some news,” Ben said as her poured them both two generous glasses of the red wine. “Ron no longer wishes to be the representative for the Parks Department and has insisted that you do it instead.”_ _

__Leslie looked up at him. “Are you serious?”_ _

__Ben nodded. “Yep. He said that as much as he wishes he could watch the government crash and burn. You’d be better and not so biased.”_ _

__Leslie looked shocked. “Wow. Ok, well, I accept. Get ready for some brain storming sessions and all nighters then!”_ _

__“Yeah, he warned me of that too,” Ben smirked as he sat down next to her._ _

__There was a small silence as Leslie tasted the wine and hummed in approval before Ben spoke again._ _

__“You know we’re doing all we can to help get the government back up and running, right?” he asked, and Leslie lowered her glass._ _

__“I know. It’s just frustrating, that’s all. This is my job, and I love it. Not being able to do it is my idea of hell,” Leslie explained. “I didn’t mean to take any of this out on you; it just…sucks.”_ _

__Ben nodded in agreement. “I know it does. But trust me, Pawnee isn’t the worst I’ve seen. It might take maybe three or four months, but it’ll be back up and running soon. Besides, now that we have you on the team, we have no other choice but to work until it’s resolved. Because I know you’re not going to let us slack off.”_ _

__Leslie smiled. “You don’t mean that.”_ _

__“No, I do,” Ben said, turning to her. “I’ve never met anyone who works as hard as you do. You’re like the energizer bunny of City Hall.”_ _

__Leslie cackled loudly, and Ben couldn’t help but laugh along with her. It was infectious. She took another sip of her wine and licked her lips._ _

__“Thanks, that honestly means a lot to me. Mean Ben really does have a soft spot,” Leslie said to him._ _

__Ben rolled his eyes. “Okay, we really have to talk about this Mean Ben thing.”_ _

__Leslie started cackling again, and all Ben could do was smile._ _

__~~_ _

__As the night went on, the waffles were eaten, and the contents of the wine bottle were slowly emptied. They were on their last glass of the bottle and getting a little tipsy, when Leslie crossed her legs on her chair._ _

__“You know, I still get can’t my head around this,” she said, pointing to her hip. “It was so weird. One morning I just woke up with a name on my hip, and the universe just kind of decided that we should be together.”_ _

__Ben nodded. “It was pretty surprising. I knew about them, but honestly never thought that I would have one. It’s just kind of a shame things started off the way they did.”_ _

__“You’re not horrible looking,” Leslie blurted out. “Your face, I mean. It’s not terrible. When I first met you, I thought it would’ve been cool if you were the Ben on my hip.”_ _

__Ben laughed at that. “Well, you’re not all that bad looking either, Ms Knope.”_ _

__“You have a nice butt too.”_ _

__Ben nearly choked on his wine. “What?”_ _

__“You have a nice butt,” Leslie repeated, biting her lip and giggling. “I looked at it at the concert, and thought yep, that’s a nice butt.”_ _

__“Are you objectifying me?” Ben asked._ _

__“Oh, you’re acting like you’ve never looked at my boobs or butt before,” Leslie scoffed._ _

__Ben hesitated for a second. “Alright, fine. I may have looked at your boobs once or twice. I’m sorry, but they looked really good in that blouse you wore to April’s birthday.”_ _

__“Really?”_ _

__“Yeah.” Ben could feel his cheeks blushing. “While you were shouting at me I kind of accidentally looked down and noticed them.”_ _

__Leslie snorted. “Really? You noticed when we were arguing.”_ _

__“I wouldn’t so much call it arguing as more you shouting at me,” Ben grinned._ _

__He leaned on the table and tilted his head to the side. “What else do you like about me?”_ _

__Leslie smiled cheekily. “You have nice, cute lips.”_ _

__“Yeah?”_ _

__Leslie nodded. “Yeah. They look like you’d be good at kissing.”_ _

__Ben raised an eyebrow cockily. “Well, I guess there’s only one way to prove that theory.”_ _

__Leslie let out a breathy sigh. “Yeah, there is.”_ _

__She didn’t know whose lips were on who’s first. But suddenly, her hands were tangled in Ben’s thick hair, and his hands were cupping the back of her head._ _

__If she could go back in time and leave a note on her kitchen table, just by where she was working saying that she was going to kiss Ben later, she wouldn’t have believed it. But things changed over the course of the night, and suddenly she wanted his lips on her… and other places._ _

__Leslie whined when Ben pulled away, and he studied her face. “Was that ok? I mean… I don’t know. I just wanted to see what it was like.”_ _

__Leslie quickly nodded. “Yes, yes, that was excellent, the kissing with your mouth parts,” she babbled. She tried to compose herself, smoothing down her hair and finishing the rest of her wine. “Would you like to see my bedroom?”_ _

__“God yes.”_ _

__~~_ _

__It took a little while to manoeuvre around the boxes littering the staircase, but soon Ben was pushing Leslie down on her mattress, his lips trailing down her neck._ _

__“You hated me this morning,” he reminded her as he pulled at the first few buttons of her blouse._ _

__“You thought I was annoying too,” Leslie reminded him as he tugged her blouse free, exposing her breasts._ _

__Ben swallowed, and Leslie could see his Adam’s apple bobbing. “God, these are perfect. I knew they would be.”_ _

__He buried his face into them, kissing the skin and unhooking her bra. He was drawn to her nipple like a moth to a flame and begun sucking at it, his hand pinching the other._ _

__Leslie moaned softly as Ben moved to palm her breast. She arched her hips up, meeting his growing erection. Okay, he was most definitely interested, she could tell from the feeling of his length._ _

__Ben moved down to her waist and pulled down her jeans. Leslie immediately regretted the choice of panties. They were her comfiest with little cartoon mice on them. She bit her lip and watched as Ben studied them for a moment._ _

__“You like mice?”_ _

__“I don’t know; I thought they were cute,” Leslie shrugged. “And I didn’t plan on anyone seeing them tonight.”_ _

__Ben chuckled and pulled them off slowly. “They’re adorable,” he told her as he tossed them onto the floor. He tucked her ankles over his shoulder and leaned down._ _

__“Oh,” Leslie interrupted, catching on to what he was doing. “That’s ok. You don’t have to… you know.”_ _

__“Are you seriously telling me that I can’t go down on you?” Ben asked, looking up at her from his position at the foot of her bed._ _

__Leslie shrugged again. “It’s just… I don’t always… I don’t want you to feel awkward.”_ _

__Ben gave Leslie a lop-sided grin. “Hey, trust me. I know what I’m doing. But if you don’t like it I’ll stop. Just give it a try?” He licked the inside of her thigh. “But just so you know, I’m kind of an expert.”_ _

__Leslie was about to call him an arrogant jerk, when she felt his tongue sweep across her clit, and all thoughts of Ben being a jerk were marred. She gasped and grinded into Ben’s face. She thought about maybe not pressing too hard, but Ben seemed super into it. Who was she to deny him of something he was clearly enjoying?_ _

__His fingers dug into her hips and lapped at her, until Leslie felt her thighs tremble and stars started exploding in her closed eyes. She was full on grinding into his face now and moaning loudly as Ben drank her._ _

__She collapsed back down into the pillows with a contented sigh. Her eyelids flittering as Ben crawled back on top of her, forcing his lips back onto hers. She could taste the richness of her juices mixed on Ben’s tongue, and it made her want him even more._ _

__“Well?” Ben asked, pulling away._ _

__“Okay, that was good,” Leslie agreed breathlessly._ _

__Ben chuckled, and Leslie reached down, tracing his erection with her hand._ _

__“What’s this like?”_ _

__Ben grinned wickedly and pulled off his shirt, allowing Leslie to completely see his soulmate tattoo. It was bigger than hers, but still subtle._ _

__Ben loosened his belt and slipped off his trousers. Leslie quickly sat up before he could get to his boxers and put her hands on his waist. Ben looked at her curiously._ _

__“May I?” she asked._ _

__Ben smirked. “You don’t have to ask,” he told her, and moved his hands away, allowing her to pull his boxers down._ _

__Leslie slowly lowered them, and Ben’s cock sprung free. She exhaled as she stared at it. Sure, she had seen a few penises in her life, but there was something about his. It was the best looking one she had seen. Long, thick and hard, with a small trail of precum at the tip._ _

__“Wow,” Leslie breathed out. Ben looked smug._ _

__“Thanks.”_ _

__Leslie reached out, and she grasped Ben’s cock by the shaft, carefully running her hand along him. Ben inhaled sharply at the touch and closed his eyes._ _

__“God,” he breathed out. His moan was easily the sexiest thing Leslie had ever heard._ _

__She gripped him tighter, stroking him several times before Ben reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder and pushing her back down onto the bed._ _

__“I don’t think I’ll last very long with you doing that,” he explained._ _

__Leslie nodded in understanding and lay back down into the pillows. Ben quickly sat back up again. “Condoms?”_ _

__“Um, bottom drawer.”_ _

__Ben nodded and reached over, giving Leslie a good view of his butt. She giggled and reached over, patting it a few times._ _

__“It really is a nice butt.”_ _

__Ben grinned. “Thanks.” He grabbed the condom and discarded the foil packet. Soon, he had rolled it on and angled himself with her entrance. With one swift thrust of hips, he was inside of her. Leslie gasped out loudly, and Ben grunted._ _

__“Fuck,” he moaned as he pushed into her, his hips thrusting in a rhythmic pattern._ _

__Leslie felt full with him, and what a luxurious feeling it was. The way he stretched her was perfect, and he hit all the right spots. She could only assume that Ben was enjoying it too with the moans he was unleashing._ _

__She smoothed her hand down her lower belly, until she found with that all too familiar spot in her lower region. Ben let out a soft moan when he saw her hand._ _

__“Good lord, you’re going to kill me,” he growled, speeding up his movements._ _

__Leslie just giggled as she carried on rubbing her clit. Ben’s eyes flicked from her to her hand, and it just seemed to spur him on. Then, Leslie’s eyes slammed shut as another orgasm rolled through her, turning all of her muscles into streams of torrential lava, burning through her body._ _

__Her second orgasm hit so hard that she felt boneless. All she could do was lie there, while Ben fucked her mercilessly. Soon Ben was letting out a series of grunts as he orgasmed and spilled into her._ _

__He sighed loudly as he collapsed on top of her. He was breathing heavily and sweat trickled down his forehead._ _

__“Wow,” he gasped out. “Shit. That was awesome.”_ _

__“Yeah,” Leslie breathed out, just as exhausted as he was._ _

__Ben carefully rolled off of her, pulling the condom off and tossing it into a nearby trashcan. In that slightest movement, Leslie realized that she missed the closeness of him. Quickly, she scooted over and tucked herself under his arm, curling into his chest._ _

__“Oh!” Ben said, a little surprised._ _

__“I’m sorry I was such an ass,” Leslie mumbled into him. “You’re really sweet and kind and good at sex-”_ _

__“Really? Is that what changed your mind?” Ben asked, raising his eyebrow coyly._ _

__“It helps,” Leslie replied, snuggling into him more._ _

__~~_ _

__Ben woke a few hours later, still tangled in Leslie’s floral sheets. He reached out to the space next to him to find it empty. He groaned and sat up, wondering where Leslie had run off to. Then he saw the light coming from Leslie’s bathroom, and he had a good guess at where she might be._ _

__Soon, the light snapped off, and Leslie walked back into the room. The first thing Ben noticed was that she was wearing his grey t-shirt._ _

__“Sorry,” Leslie whispered as she crawled back into bed. “I needed to pee. Did I wake you?”_ _

__“It’s fine,” Ben said. “Seeing you in my shirt kind of made up for it.”_ _

__Leslie moved closer to Ben, and he wrapped his arms around her. Suddenly, he didn’t feel tired anymore. He wanted to stay up for as long as possible with this girl. He wanted to watch her sleep against him, or talk with her until the sun came up._ _

__Thankfully, Leslie seemed on the same page. She looked up at him with bright eyes, and smiled._ _

__“Can’t sleep anymore?” she asked._ _

__Ben shook his head. “Nah. I’m pretty awake.”_ _

__“Good, me too,” Leslie said, leaning into his chest. “Maybe we should talk about this whole soulmate thing again?” she suggested as her hand traced along Ben’s tattoo._ _

__“Do you want to?” Ben asked, looking at her._ _

__“Sure. I mean, we just did _that_ , so there’s definitely something between us. I just want to know more about you. Like, what were your previous relationships like?” she asked._ _

__“They were terrible,” Ben said. “I was the one who was always dumped. My last one was with this girl called Holly. She was pretty aloof and wild, and just broke up with me when she got tired and bored. I’m not crazy and wild. I’m just steady and calm. She hated that.”_ _

__“I’m sorry,” Leslie mumbled. “I was once broken up with in the shower.”_ _

__Ben gawped at her. “Really?”_ _

__Leslie nodded sadly. “Yeah, that wasn’t my finest hour. But whatever. Also, a lot of boyfriends complained that being with me made them gain weight. So, full disclosure, if we do end up dating, you might gain weight.”_ _

__Ben raised an eyebrow. “You aren’t one of those feeders, are you?”_ _

__“No!” Leslie said, a little alarmed. “No, not at all. I like to bake. Sometimes baking helps me think. And past boyfriends used to like eating them and then would blame me when their pants wouldn’t fit.”_ _

__“That’s not fair,” Ben said. “Besides. You don’t have to worry about that. I have an insanely high metabolism. I can eat anything and never gain weight. I’m pretty sure I’ve stayed the same weight since I was like 25. Even Chris is jealous of it.”_ _

__“Same here,” Leslie said. “Seriously, I was just starting to like you, and you rub it in my face that you never put on weight?”_ _

__“Sorry, sorry,” Ben quickly said. “I’m just saying, you can bake what you like around me, and I’ll never complain or blame you for anything.”_ _

__He looked down at her, still curled up on his chest. “We should go on a proper date. Have a nice meal or something, then we can decide what we want to do.”_ _

__Leslie smiled at him. “I’d like that.”_ _

__She moved from his arms and climbed back out of bed, taking off Ben’s shirt and placing it neatly over a chair. On her way back, Ben grabbed hold of her hips and rubbed his fingers over the tattoo. He then leaned in and kissed it sweetly._ _

__Leslie giggled at the feel of him. “Did you really just kiss your own name?”_ _

__“I did, because it’s on you,” Ben retorted._ _

__Leslie shyly grinned at him, and crawled back into his arms._ _

__~~_ _

__Ben wasn’t sure when he went back to sleep, but he woke up again to the sunlight streaming through the slit in the curtains. He felt the space next to him, and wasn’t surprised that Leslie was missing. He had a feeling she wasn’t one to stay in bed for too long._ _

__He pulled on a shirt and walked downstairs, still in his boxers. Sure enough, she was there in his kitchen, flipping pancakes._ _

__“Morning,” Ben grunted, rubbing his eyes._ _

__“Hey!” Leslie said, looking at him over her shoulder. “I hope you don’t mind, I’ve been awake for a while so I made pancakes.”_ _

__“Not at all. It’s your house after all,” Ben said, pouring himself a cup of coffee from the pot on the side. He then poured Leslie a refill while she served up the pancakes._ _

__“So, I’ve been thinking.”_ _

__Ben grinned. Of course she had. She bakes when she thinks. He remembered that from last night._ _

__“And I know there’s still no money in the budget, and probably won’t be for a while once the government in reinstated, but how long do you think it will be until we can go back to starting big projects?” Leslie asked, squirting a mountain of whipped cream on her pancakes._ _

__Ben eyed the whipped cream; it was enough to give someone instant diabetes. “I’m not sure. When they government is up and running again you’ll most likely be tending to existing park maintenance.”_ _

__Leslie looked defeated, so Ben quickly reached over and squeezed her hand. “Hey, it’s ok, it won’t be too bad. You’ll be in maintenance mode!” he said with a musical tone to his voice._ _

__Leslie smiled sadly. “But when do you think we could start new projects?”_ _

__Ben titled his head to the side. “I don’t know. I wish I could tell you, but I really don’t. The only thing that could help is maybe coming up with an idea that will generate revenue and can actually put money into the government.”_ _

__Leslie’s eyes widened. “Oh my god. I’ve got it! I know what we can do.”_ _

__Ben blinked, and Leslie excitedly bounced in her seat._ _

__“Okay, so when I was younger, the Parks Department used to do so many exciting projects, like Winter Wonderlands and summer parties. There was one that was always insanely popular but was lost thanks to another round of budget cuts a few years back,” Leslie said, and Ben listened intently._ _

__“And what’s the project?”_ _

__“A Harvest Festival!” Leslie announced. “People would come from all over Indiana to marvel at how fat our citizens were. If you can guarantee that you can reinstate our budget as soon as the government opens, then we will make the best, biggest festival that Pawnee has ever seen. We’ll make money from sponsorships and ticket sales, trust me, people will come.”_ _

__“And if they don’t?” Ben asked._ _

__Leslie chewed her lower lip and stared confidently at Ben. “Then you eliminate the Parks Department.”_ _

__“What?” Ben frowned. “No, Leslie I can’t do that. You’ll all lose your jobs.”_ _

__“But it’s the motivation we need to go out and do a great job. We need something like that to give us the drive. You have to say that you’ll eliminate the department. Plus, if you do that it’ll make you seem tough and fair and not that you are giving us favouritism because you just slept with the deputy director.”_ _

__She leaned over the table so that her face met with Ben’s. “Come on, say it. Say you’ll eliminate the department. Say it, do it, Ben. Do it, say it.”_ _

__“Alright, okay!” Ben said, holding his hands up in defeat. “We’ll eliminate the department if you don’t make the money.”_ _

__Leslie sat back in her seat with a confident smile. “Thank you.”_ _

__“But we can’t announce anything yet. Not until the government is back in action. Then you’ll have to come up with a killer presentation to convince Chris, and me for that matter. Not that I don’t believe you’ll do a great job, but I want to know more rather than just sitting over breakfast after just fucking your brains out,” Ben said as he took another sip of his coffee and raised an eyebrow cheekily at Leslie._ _

__She just grinned at him. “Fine. I love a challenge.”_ _

__Leslie jumped up from her chair and hurried over to Ben’s side, kissing him on the cheek and dashing back upstairs._ _

__“Where are you going?”_ _

__“To prepare!” Leslie explained. “I have to be ready for when the government opens again.”_ _

__“Oh, well, I kind of had other plans,” Ben said as he got up from his chair. “Which involved you and me staying in bed all day.”_ _

__He ran his fingers lightly over her arm and Leslie shivered. She wasn’t one for staying in bed for too long, but there was something about Ben that made her want to curl up with him forever._ _

__“Alright,” Leslie breathed out, and, suddenly, Ben’s lips were on hers again, as they clumsily made their way up the stairs._ _

__~~_ _

__As the representative from the Parks Department, Leslie dutifully turned up every morning at least an hour early to brainstorm ideas to help with the budget crisis. Then about half an hour later, Ben and Chris would walk in to set up. They soon got used to Leslie being there before them, and Ben would always bring her a mocha with extra whipped cream._ _

__A week later, after the task force meeting had adjourned and Ben gave Leslie a longing look across the room, which she returned, knowing that he’d be coming over to her house later, Chris finally said something._ _

__“Are you and Leslie Knope dating?” he asked, and Ben couldn’t help but notice the hopeful tone to his voice._ _

__Ben blushed. “Kind of. We’re not really putting labels on it yet; we’re just enjoying having dinner and nights together.”_ _

__Chris beamed at his friend and patted him on the shoulder. “Wow, I’m extremely happy for you. I really hope that something bigger comes from this.”_ _

__The words were out of Ben’s mouth before he could stop himself. “Me too.”_ _

__He really wanted something more, because spending practically every day with Leslie was amazing, and he’d become a permanent fixture in her house too, even taking to helping her clean up some of the clutter in her home._ _

__They went out for dinner at least once a week. They spoke about Leslie’s fear of first dates and about how the pit outside Ann’s house was her biggest accomplishment. He held her hand tightly when she told him about her dad passing when she was ten, and she trailed her fingers along his wrists sweetly when he told her about his dysfunctional family._ _

__“To be honest, I don’t know what I would have done without Henry and Steph,” Ben explained one on of their date nights as he sipped his white wine. “They were the only sane ones in my family.” He chuckled to himself. “Well, Henry went through a weird phase where he was really into fireworks and sniffing glue. But I mean he’s redeemed himself. He and his wife are actually trying to have a baby.”_ _

__“That’s amazing,” Leslie said, and Ben found himself getting lost in her bright, excitable eyes._ _

__“Yeah, it is,” Ben said softly._ _

__He toyed with Leslie’s free hand as they both started on their entrees. It had been almost three months of dating and getting to know all about each other. It was slow, but just exactly what they both wanted._ _

__But there was an itch that Ben felt. He wanted something more. Two months back, he said to Chris that they weren’t going to put labels on it just yet, but now he felt like they were ready. He knew her exact coffee order, and he knew what foods she liked and didn’t. He knew that to get her to go into a deep sleep he needed to give her some camomile tea and rub her hip until she was snoring next to him._ _

__He took a quick gulp of his wine for courage and set his fork down. He was really enjoying his fillet mignon but it could wait._ _

__“I’ve really liked spending time with you over the past few months. It’s been really great, and I feel like I’ve really gotten to know you,” Ben said, licking his lips nervously._ _

__Leslie smiled sweetly at him as she looked up from her chicken. “I’ve really liked it too. I’m really happy, Ben.”_ _

__“Me too,” Ben said. “Which is why I feel like it’s maybe time to… put a label on it?”_ _

__Leslie titled her head to the side. “Yeah?”_ _

__Ben nodded. “I mean, we’re already branded with each other’s names. So, why not make it official? Boyfriend and girlfriend. I know it would make me so happy and proud to call you my beautiful girlfriend. What do you think?”_ _

__Leslie’s eyes sparkled with joy. “O-of course I would love to!” She squeezed his hand tighter. “Now you can be Boyfriend Ben, and not Mean Ben.”_ _

__“You still call me Mean Ben?”_ _

__“Well, not since the night we got together,” Leslie winked at him._ _

__Ben just smiled at her and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. “So, I have some news,” he continued._ _

__“You said that the day we slept together for the first time,” she grinned._ _

__“I did, and I’m not going to lie, but I really think this news might get me lucky again,” Ben said with a slight smirk._ _

__Leslie slapped his wrist, and Ben chuckled._ _

__“Alright, sorry. Okay, so Chris and I stayed behind after the meeting today, and we ran over some numbers. Get ready, Ms Knope, because as of Monday morning, the government will be back open,” Ben said, unable to hide the smile on his face anymore._ _

__Leslie stared at him blankly for a few moments while the information sunk in, but suddenly, the most adorable surprised look crossed her face, and she slammed her hand on the table excitedly._ _

__“What? Oh my god! The government is back open? Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I have to tell everyone! I have to get my car and round up everyone immediately,” Leslie babbled excitedly. She spun around on her chair and beckoned a waitress over. “Excuse me, ma’am? Can we get a doggy bag for these? Oh, and could you pack up two of those chocolate caramel cakes please?”_ _

__Ben had a slightly suspicion both of those caramel cakes were for her._ _

__And he also regretted telling her this early into the evening. It kind of put their dinner to an abrupt end._ _

__But the amazing sex that followed later that evening once Leslie had called the entire Parks Department with the news was just perfect. Leslie had crawled on top of him and rode him until the sun rose._ _

__~~_ _

__Leslie knocked the Harvest Festival presentation out of the park. Just like Ben knew that she would._ _

__She had obviously done her research, and had everything planned out. If things worked out, then it wouldn’t just benefit their department. It would generate revenue for the entire government, and would become a yearly event once again._ _

__The presentation even drove Chris to tears. He announced that it was the most moving thing he had ever heard. Then Leslie challenged them with the elimination of their department if it didn’t go well, and Ben and Chris both agreed to the festival going ahead._ _

__“Excellent! Great! Okay. So, everybody we’re going to party hard for 15 minutes and then we’re going to have our first brainstorming session,” Leslie said to the team, and Ben and Chris made their leave._ _

__“Great job,” Ben whispered to Leslie, and gave her a wink._ _

__“I saw that!”_ _

__Leslie and Ben both turned at the sound of Donna’s voice. She was watching them with her eyes narrowed._ _

__“I saw that wink. You’re dating, aren’t you?”_ _

__Leslie and Ben both looked at each other, mimicking the same shocked expression. “Uh… it’s been a long three months,” Ben stammered out._ _

__“In short, yes we are,” Leslie said. “There’s nothing to hide. Chris knows we are.”_ _

__“And I literally could not be happier,” Chris cut in._ _

__“And the department will be cut if the festival doesn’t work out. There’s no favouritism here, ok? We’re still going to work hard, so I want everyone to give 110% at all times,” Leslie finished sternly, and looking a little nervous._ _

__“Oh, I don’t care about that,” Donna said. “Tom owes me 50 bucks. I bet him that you two were going to do that whole enemies to lovers cliché. Which you did. So, pay up, little man.”_ _

__Tom sulked in the back of the room. “Do you accept cheques?”_ _

__Leslie breathed out, and she looked back at Ben, who just smiled at her._ _

__~~_ _

__“Nice work, Leslie,” Ben said again as they walked around the festival. It had been a crazy few days on the lead up, and, with the whole Wamapoke curse thing, Leslie wasn’t sure if she’d be able to get Ben back onto the festival ground._ _

__But he came back. Of course he did._ _

__She had been in high demand for the entire day. Greeting everyone who came in, and meeting Lil Sebastian, which was a highlight for her (Ben didn’t really understand it) but still pretended to act delighted when the small horse whinnied._ _

__The sky was turning dark, and the festival would be closing in half an hour, and Ben really wanted to spend some quality time with Leslie._ _

__“How about one last ride on the Ferris Wheel?” he asked, and Leslie nodded happily._ _

__“Yeah, that would be great.”_ _

__They were buckled into their seat, and soon the metal contraption was moving them into the sky._ _

__After a few rounds, the wheel paused with them at the top. Ben couldn’t help but watch Leslie’s face as she looked around her surroundings. Being up so high meant that she could see the entire festival in all its glory._ _

__“I can’t believe we did it,” she breathed out, her hand slipping into Ben’s and squeezing it tightly. “We did this, and it was successful.”_ _

__“You did it, I just provided back rubs when you were stressed and stopped you from going overboard with cotton candy machines,” Ben smirked at her._ _

__“You did more than that,” Leslie said, leaning into his side. “If you didn’t come here in the first place, then this festival never would have happened. I know you said that you weren’t a threat to the department, and I understand that. But I kind of needed that thought something bad was going to happen to work hard.”_ _

__She took Ben’s hand and rested it over her hip, the one with her soulmate tattoo on it. “I wake up every morning, and look at this, and thank god that you turned out to be my soulmate. Because I couldn’t see myself being with anyone else but you.”_ _

__Ben smiled at her, and moved forwards, kissing her deeply. “I think that too.”_ _

__He traced the tattoo with his fingers, and as they pulled away, he felt warmth burst through him, one he hadn’t felt in a long time._ _

__“I love you, Leslie Knope, my soulmate,” he whispered, and Leslie’s eyes lit up._ _

__“I love you too, Benjamin Wyatt,” she replied, and leaned back again to kiss, as she leaned over, the bottom of her shirt rose a little, exposing the black ink once again._ _

__On the edge of the festival, fireworks shot into the air, exploding in bright colours and sparkles, as Leslie and Ben kissed happily, basking in the glow of the Harvest Festival._ _


End file.
